A year in review

Lynn Steadman's Sea Star looks like it is riding on the pitot tube of Bob Baker's Cessna 172.

The Iron Creek Flying Club has been busy since its revitalization last spring. The Airport Commission has completed the resurfacing of the runway and apron. Many pilots commend us for such a well kept airport.

Government along with the RCMP aircraft visited our airport last summer. In November alone we had three persons airlifted by Air Ambulance to Edmonton.

The Iron Creek Flying Club became a member of the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association as Flight 157. Bob Kirby, COPA’s director for Alberta and Northwest Territories, flew into the Killam/Sedgewick airport and presented the Flight Certificate to the executive and members on June 23. The Certificate is proudly displayed in the terminal at the Killam/Sedgewick airport.

The fuel system needed to be upgraded to a double wall tank to meet environmental standards. We would like to thank Pronghorn Controls, B & D Trucking and Flagstaff County for their support. The tank has been delivered and replaced with a 4,500 litre double wall tank from Drever Agri Services and a pump from Bob’s Corner service of Alliance for a nominal fee. Several club members got together to help with the change over.

The members had the pleasure listening to Phil Pardo, a representative of CASARA (Civil Air Search and Rescue Association) at our September meeting. Phil outlined the National Volunteer Search and Rescue organization and how we could become involved. Several members showed interest with many questions being asked.

In October the Camrose Flying Club invited the Iron Creek Flying Club to join them on a fly-out. On October 4th planes from Camrose flew into Killam-Sedgewick and joined with planes from the Iron Creek Flying Club. We then departed for St. Paul, landing for a short visit with some locals, then off to Barrhead where we landed and walked over to the golf course for a great lunch.

The planes then departed for Drayton Valley where we landed and refuelled some of the planes. The planes were back in the air and off to Camrose where we landed and said our good-byes to the Camrose Flying Club members and made the last leg home to Killam-Sedgewick airport. The pilots and their passengers enjoyed a great day of flying, approximately 408 miles going completely around the Edmonton region.

October also had Terry Mathews, Areotechnical Services, of Camrose speak on aircraft maintenance. This was very informative. Pilots brought more questions to the table which Terry answered adding specific regulations that had to be adhered to.

The members are still looking forward to having a Young Pilots day. COPA is working on a Canadian version of the Young Eagles program. Hopefully spring will find all the qualifications met and we can host our day for young aviators here in our area.

Some of our local club members attend a meeting at the Vegreville Flying Club on Oct. 22. This was a Transport Canada Flight Crew Recency meeting. Presented by Gordon Weslsby an instructor from the Edmonton Flying Club.

The Flying Club is hosting an information meeting on the use of the survival transmitter called SPOT. More information on this device can be found on the Internet at www.findmespot.ca. We are also going to have a meeting on the functions and use of a GPS. The County of Flagstaff has agreed to clear the trees along the sides of the runway providing safer use of the runway. This will be done after freeze up. The taxiway is also being looked at in the spring for oiling. With all of these enhancements we are looking for more pilots to base their airplanes at the Killam/Sedgewick airport and in turn this will provide more revenue in building permits, land taxes, leases, fuel sales, etc.

Two more hangers are being constructed at this time. A new pilot has purchased a home in Sedgewick and is moving his plane to our airport in the near future.

Our local pilot, Lynn Steadman, has completed the building of his SeaStar. This is an amphibious, pusher, biplane with retractable gear. Lynn built the aircraft from a kit in his garage this past year. He has state of the art instrumentation and equipment in the plane. Congratulations Lynn on your new aircraft, we are all looking forward to a ride.

The Iron Creek Flying Club next meeting will be held Feb. 9, 2009 at the Killam/Sedgewick Airport terminal at 19:30 hrs. (7:30pm) sharp. Everyone is welcome so come out and visit with the pilots.